dot
1a small, roundish mark made with or as if with a pen.
a minute or small spot on a surface; speck: There were dots of soot on the windowsill.
anything relatively small or specklike.
a small specimen, section, amount, or portion: a dot of butter.
a period, especially as used when pronouncing an internet address.
Music.
a point placed after a note or rest, to indicate that the duration of the note or rest is to be increased one half. A double dot further increases the duration by one half the value of the single dot.
a point placed under or over a note to indicate that it is to be played staccato.
Telegraphy. a signal of shorter duration than a dash, used in groups along with groups of dashes and spaces to represent letters, as in Morse code.
Printing. an individual element in a halftone reproduction.
to mark with or as if with a dot or dots.
to stud or diversify with or as if with dots: Trees dot the landscape.
to form or cover with dots: He dotted a line across the page.
Cooking. to sprinkle with dabs of butter, margarine, or the like: Dot the filling with butter.
to make a dot or dots.
Idioms about dot
dot one's i's and cross one's t's, to be meticulous or precise, even to the smallest detail.
on the dot, Informal. precisely; exactly at the time specified: The guests arrived at eight o'clock on the dot.
the year dot, British Informal. very long ago.
Origin of dot
1Other words from dot
- dotlike, adjective
- dotter, noun
Other definitions for dot (2 of 4)
Origin of dot
2Other words from dot
- do·tal [doht-l], /ˈdoʊt l/, adjective
Other definitions for DOT (4 of 4)
damage over time: (in a video game) an attack that results in light or moderate damage when it is dealt, but that wounds or weakens the receiving character, who continues to lose health in small increments for a specified period of time, or until healed by a spell, potion, etc.
Dictionary of Occupational Titles: reference book formerly published by the Department of Labor with job titles, descriptions, and official classifications, discontinued in 1999 and replaced by the online Occupational Informational Network.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dot in a sentence
A light system projects a series of dots on the inside of the pads and a camera to observe how the pads deform when it picks up an object.
Toyota’s robotic butler will serve you from the ceiling | Stan Horaczek | October 3, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThey come in over 20 patterns including sunflowers, polka dots, leopard print, roses, and more.
Smartwatch accessories to give your high-tech friends and family | PopSci Commerce Team | October 1, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIf the dots disagreed with that decision, her brain didn’t put in an effort.
Confidence can make you miss important information | Bethany Brookshire | October 1, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThat lets grocery sellers join the dots between ads and sales in realtime, and adjust their strategies to maximize ROI, even in a rapidly changing retail environment.
If you see the dot, it means an app is accessing your iPhone’s phone or camera.
iPhone’s new ‘orange dot’ feature warns you when an app is listening | Jeff | September 17, 2020 | Fortune
Her views on these questions were expounded in her later novels—Hertha and Far och dotter .
The dotter has no business striping or ornamenting the modern cutter or sleigh.
Practical Carriage and Wagon Painting | Mayton Clarence HillickYou have had dotter practice, which is practically the same thing.
The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service | Frank Gee Patchin
British Dictionary definitions for dot (1 of 2)
/ (dɒt) /
a small round mark made with or as with a pen, etc; spot; speck; point
anything resembling a dot; a small amount: a dot of paint
the mark (˙) that appears above the main stem of the letters i, j
music
the symbol (·) placed after a note or rest to increase its time value by half
this symbol written above or below a note indicating that it must be played or sung staccato
maths logic
the symbol (.) indicating multiplication or logical conjunction
a decimal point
the symbol (·) used, in combination with the symbol for dash (–), in the written representation of Morse and other telegraphic codes: Compare dit
the year dot informal as long ago as can be remembered
on the dot at exactly the arranged time
(tr) to mark or form with a dot: to dot a letter; a dotted crotchet
(tr) to scatter or intersperse (with dots or something resembling dots): bushes dotting the plain
(intr) to make a dot or dots
dot one's i's and cross one's t's to pay meticulous attention to detail
Origin of dot
1Derived forms of dot
- dotter, noun
British Dictionary definitions for dot (2 of 2)
/ (dɒt) /
civil law a woman's dowry
Origin of dot
2Derived forms of dot
- dotal (ˈdəʊtəl), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for dot
[ dŏt ]
A symbol (·) indicating multiplication, as in 2 · 4 = 8. It is used to indicate the dot product of vectors, for example A · B.
A period, as used as in URLs and e-mail addresses, to separate strings of words, as in www.hmco.com.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with dot
In addition to the idiom beginning with dot
- dot the i's and cross the t's
also see:
- on the dot
- sign on the dotted line
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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